On Saturday, Oct. 17, Maple Lawn in Howard County held their second annual Autumn Harvest Festival from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Maple Lawn was created in 1993 by Greenebaum Enterprises. The Maple Lawn Harvest Festival featured a burger battle between restaurants such as Ranazul, The Grille, Kloby’s Smokehouse, Looney’s Pub, Union Jack, and The Corner Stable. Also, guest performances from the bands Saving Apollo, Tom=Kat, The Fabian Brothers, and the Miller Brothers Blues Band.

Wendy Ingram Braswell, the event organizer, stated, “Local events are a way to bring people face-to-face with each other. In today’s society of technology and online communication, it is nice to have a real life event that brings folks together.”

Children who attended the event could go to the Kids Zone, which had activities such as face painting, pumpkin carving, and crafting. The zone included shaved ice, a bounce house, and a guest performer dressed as from Anna from the Disney movie Frozen.

Chris Luty, a representative from the Camp Bow Wow (a dog daycare and boarding service) and festival attendee stated: “I think this event should continue because it brings a lot of support to local businesses and has a very safe and friendly environment.”

The event helped to unify the community by allowing groups of all ages to participate in a concerts, games, and an intense burger battle, allowing participants to meet individuals from throughout Maryland.